School store to reopen ne tore to reopen ne tore to reopen next ...

Volume 54, No. 3
The
News Briefs
Or Orches Or hes hestr hes tr tra tr a plans
plans
trip trip t tto
t o Chicago
Chicago
The school’s orchestra, led by Band
Director Tom Miller, plans to head
to Chicago for a music competition.
The trip costs $400 per student and
is scheduled for May 4 - 6. Miller
says he will also be inviting 18 of
his best woodwind players from the
band to join the competition. “This
will be the first trip the orchestra
has taken in three years, so I’m excited,
and I hope that we place,”
says senior violinist Cherelle Bond.
The winners of the competition will
receive their awards at a ceremony
at Six Flags Chicago theme park.
- Jensen Allen
SHS SHS consider considers consider
switc switch switc h t tto
t o trimes trimester trimes er ers er
Southfield’s public high schools
are considering switching to trimesters,
according to Assistant Principal
Rita Teague. Trimesters would
replace the current semester school
year. Instead of two 18-week semesters,
students would have three
12-week trimesters. The switch
would save money, offer more
elective choices to the students, and
meet certain graduation requirements
by 2011. Schools that have
already approved the switch include
Birmingham Groves, Birmingham
Seaholm and North
Farmington High School. Teague
said, “We’re currently investigating
the trimesters and looking into the
pros and cons.”
- Jensen Allen
Bulger Bulger t tto
t o re return re turn
Former Southfield High Assistant
Principal Marty Bulger will return
as an assistant principal in January,
according to Principal Michael
Horn. The announcement was made
at a faculty meeting on Dec. 11.
- Rachel Cook
Southfield Jay
The student voice of Southfield High School / Southfield, Michigan
http://www.myhighschooljournalism.org/mi/southfield/shs/
50¢
People
and
their
pets
page 6
December 2006
Sc School Sc hool s sstore
s tore to to reopen reopen ne next ne xt month
month
By Rachel Cook
News Editor
The school store, the Turning
Point, which never opened this
year, is expected to reopen in January
under the direction of Business
and Marketing teacher Jacqueline
Dunlap.
Marketing teacher Sylvia Bailey
went on an unexpected medical
leave after the first day of school,
so the student-run store has remained
closed for first semester
until a certified marketing teacher
could take over, said Dunlap.
“I feel it was unfair when she
left,” said senior Ahsha Davis who
was supposed to be the store manager
this year. “Some students in the
Store Operations course only had a
semester to get the opportunity to
run the store, and now our time is
almost up. Now we’re just trying
to get everything put together and
organized,” Davis said.
Over the past few weeks,
Dunlap, the only other certified
marketing teacher at Southfield
High, has taken the call and has
begun training the store operators
to help re-open the Turning Point.
“Our main goal is to get the store
up and running,” said Dunlap.
“I’m looking forward to the
opening of the store and getting that
experience,” said senior Store Operator
Ashley Hall.
Both Dunlap and the marketing
students aim to bring energy and
life to a now dead hallway that was
once a hub of commerce where students
bought school apparel,
freshly baked cookies and Blue Jaythemed
gifts. “The opening will
brighten the hallway and bring with
it a lot of anticipation and commotion,”
said senior Store Operator
Christine Agustin.
Store Operations classes are in
the process of brainstorming new
ways to attract more customers and
Photo by Josh Polito
No contract: Sarah Scott, a high school cook,
expresses her opinion at an informational picket
outside of Southfield High School.
By Jensen Allen
Editor in Chief
Photo by Josh Polito
What’s in store: Seniors Denise Bradley (left) and Ahsha Davis
peek inside the windows of the closed school store.
to make up for losses and cuts
within the store. “We’re exploring
new merchandise ideas (and) trying
to showcase student -designed
Southfield teachers, secretaries, cooks
and custodians have been continuing to
work without a contract since the beginning
of the 2006-2007 school year and the disputes
that have been discussed since April
of 2006 are expected to be settled in December
with the help of a mediator hired by
the School Board.
For eight months the employees and
school board members have not been able
to reach a settlement on issues such as benefits
(specifically health care), salaries, class
size and work rules.
Superintendent Wanda Cook-Robinson
said, “The board of Education desires to
have a contract for the teachers. They feel
that the staff is very valuable and dedicated.
The board appreciates all that they do. How-
apparel,” Dunlap said.
Former school store adviser
Sylvia Bailey did not return phone
calls.
District District emplo employees emplo ees
wor or ork or k without without contract
contract
ever, we must reach a contract that is within
the physical parameters that we have.
“We have to settle a contract given the
amount of money that we have,” Cook-
Robinson continued. Cook-Robinson’s
contract is also in negotiation, but it remains
separate from teachers.
Since teachers’ striking in the state of
Michigan is illegal, Southfield teachers
decided that staying in school would be
the best thing they could do to demonstrate
that they care for the kids and their future,
said Robert MacFarland, who is an English
teacher, a member of the Southfield Education
Association bargaining unit and interim
assistant principal.
“I think we’re handling it with a lot of
class, and these are people that we consider
colleagues and unfortunately times
are not easy,” MacFarland said.
See CONTRACT, page 3

The Southfield Jay / December 2006
‘Happ ‘Happy ‘Happ y holida holidays’ holida s’ is is oneone-
size-fits-mos
size-fits-most size-fits-mos t greeting
greeting
As the song Carol of the
Bells says, “One seems to
hear words of good cheer
from everywhere, filling the air.”
But should those words of good
cheer be “Merry Christmas” or
“Happy Holidays”?
As the holiday season wears on,
the date that is prevalent on the
minds of most is Dec. 25 – Christmas.
The day when billions of little
kids (and some adults) wake up to
see what Santa Claus has left under
the 6-foot evergreen tree for
them, the tree that if it’s left up
much longer, will keel over.
Custom and common courtesy
dictate that if a person says to you
“Merry Christmas” that you say the
same thing in kind to them. But isn’t
that a little presumptuous? To pre-
The Southfield Jay
Published monthly
by the journalism students
of Southfield High School
in Southfield, Mich.
Editor-in-Chief
News Editor
Centerspread Editor
Editorial Editor
Features Editor
Sports Editor
Entertainment Editor
Fun Page Editor
Photo Editor
Webmaster
Staff Artist
Circulation Manager
Business Manager
Exchange Editor
Faculty Adviser
Jensen Allen
Rachel Cook
Erika Pritchett
Justin S. Johnson
Rae Larkins
Emanuel Johnson
Makia Brooks
Kayla Hurst
Josh Polito
Justin S. Johnson
Tiara Hill
Mia Fleming
Tomeka Kolleh
Sahsha Daniel
Diane Hofsess
Staff writers: Sahsha Daniel, Personna
Hover and Amber Lucy
The Southfield Jay is a member of Quill
& Scroll and the Michigan Interscholastic
Press Association. The Jay is a 2004,
2005 and 2006 George H. Gallup Award
winner and a Spartan Award winner for
2004, 2005 and 2006.
We welcome your letters to the editor.
Letters may be edited for space reasons.
We do not print unsigned letters. Write to
us at The Southfield Jay, c/o Diane
Hofsess, Southfield High School, 24675
Lahser Road, Southfield, Mich., 48033.
Or phone us at (248) 746-8963.
sume that somebody celebrates
Christmas reeks of prejudice
against them.
There are millions of people
who celebrate Hanukkah or
Kwanzaa. They deserve to have
their own holiday, without having
“Merry Christmas” thrust upon
them.
Then there are the atheists who
don’t celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah
or Kwanzaa, for that matter.
Having a merry Christmas is
not an option to them because they
don’t celebrate Christmas.
Just as it is unacceptable to assume
that a person who holds the
door open for you will be celebrating
Christmas, you can’t assume
anything these days. It may seem
like a completely innocent and
Edit Editor Edit or orials or ials & & Opinions
Opinions
friendly gesture to say “Merry
Christmas,” but you never know
who you’re going to offend, and
you never know how the other person
will react to the assumption.
It’s too hard to ask everyone
which holidays they observe. So,
the safest thing to say to people
around the December holidays is
the generic “Happy holidays.” It
works. It’s simple, short, and nonspecific.
And yes, as cold and unfeeling
as it may seem, it’s better in this
case to go for the all-inclusive and
not the specific. Use “happy holidays,”
and unless the person you’re
greeting is a Scrooge, then they
can’t but smile at you and return the
favor.
- Justin S. Johnson
Letter to the editor
Santa, it’s too hard to
represent all the
holidays. Can’t we just
do Christmas?
Passage Passage of of Proposal Proposal 2 2 w wwas
w as a a shame
shame
On the Friday evening before the November
election, I watched a documentary
on the ABC news program, 20/20, entitled,
“Privilege in America: Who’s Shutting You
Out?”
O n e
segment,
“Education
and Privilege,”examined
the
question,
“Are educations
at
elite colleges
for
By Karen Melton
sale?” It
was re-
vealed that there are slots set aside at some
of America’s top colleges for those whose
families have money, influence, and
power—regardless of test scores or grade
point averages. A former president of
Duke University, Keith Brodie, admitted,
“I believe that it is the case that there are a
few slots in every entering class that are
basically for sale.”
Another segment, “Race and Privilege,”
involved a hidden camera experiment
where prospective employers were given
two resumes with the exact same credentials
and work experience—with one exception.
The names were different. One
Happy
Holidays
name appeared to be more ethnic, possibly
that of an African American, while the other
name appeared to be that of a Caucasian person.
Each time the experiment was repeated,
the resume appearing to be that of a Caucasian
was selected the by the employer. It was
the same resume in each case, so undoubtedly
the names had to be the deciding factor.
After viewing this documentary, I was especially
troubled. In just four days, Michigan
voters would be going to the polls to vote
for the future of Affirmative Action, better
known as Proposal Two. Sadly the proposal
passed. Those who were for the proposal feel
that race and gender should not be a deciding
factor as to who gets hired for certain jobs or
admitted to certain colleges. In a perfect
world, I would certainly agree, but as examples
of flawed selection processes such as
the ones presented by 20/20 and the myriad
of others that exist, continue to show preferences
for the privileged or reject qualified applicants
on names alone, we still need
Affirmative Action to balance these wrongs.
The really disturbing part about its passing
is that many people, black and white, do
not understand that Affirmative Action was
never meant for the undeserving or the unqualified.
Students who don’t work hard to
earn good grades and test scores were never
going to benefit even with Affirmative Action
in tact. Those who will be hurt most are the
students who meet the qualifications, but can
easily be pushed down on the list by a oneor
two- point deficit, which can come from
various factors, including the high school
one attends, from what region one comes,
whether the parents were alumni, or as in
the 20/20 story, how much one’s family can
pay for a slot.
There are those who would argue that
more African American students need to
step up, and I would certainly agree, because
those who don’t will seal their own
fates. While some African Americans enjoy
comfortable lifestyles, there are many
more who struggle every day to overcome
obstacles, dysfunction and hardships, yet
despite their struggles, they are smart, motivated
and driven students who still manage
to qualify for slots in good colleges and
universities. Raw scores alone do not tell
the story. They’ve had to deal with and
overcome much more in life while still
maintaining their educational focus. These
are the students who may be shut out because
of less publicized quotas that favor
where people live and how much financial
influence one’s family has. They are the
ones who benefit from Affirmative Action.
The 20/20 documentary just underscored
what African Americans have known all
along. Discriminatory practices in employment
and college acceptances still exist. regardless
of the applicant’s qualifications.
Melton teaches English at Southfield High.

News The Southfield Jay / December 2006 3
Blue Jays donate to needy families
Photo by Sahsha Daniel
Can do: Members of Southfield Student Congress count cans of food donated by
students and staff for needy families in the area. Pictured are (from left to right)
junior Ashley Wheatley, junior Desiree Leapheart and sophomore Darius Jordan.
By Amber Lucy
Staff Writer
A total of 1,234 cans of food was collected
from Southfield High students and staffers
last month through the efforts of Southfield
Student Congress’ (SSC) annual canned food
drive for needy families in the area.
“It was a huge success,” said Jamie Glinz,
who advises the Student Congress members.
“Last year, we didn’t even get 1,000.”
In other charitable efforts, SSC also sponsored
a blood drive last month that collected
52 pints of blood from students and staffers,
Glinz said.
“It’s good to see my peers trying to do
something good by giving back to the community,”
said junior Marchelle Miles, who
is treasurer of SSC and helped plan the blood
drive.
SSC wasn’t the only group in the school
trying to help the needy before the holiday
season. Members of Project Woman collected
150 sets of hats and gloves for needy
families in the area from staff and students,
said Kimberly Wardell-Stone, Project
Woman adviser.
Contract
continued from page 1
A mediator was requested by the board to
help settle the contract disputes and met Dec.
6 with both sides, but no settlement had been
reached at press time. Once the settlement is
agreed upon, the contract will be final,
MacFarland said.
Math Department Co-Chair Crystal
Wilcher said, “Personally, I enjoy teaching,
so I don’t mind working (without a contract)
although I think it is wrong.”
The teachers are currently working off of
the previous contract and the new settlements
should not affect students unless class sizes
increase, MacFarland said.
In an effort to draw attention to the expired
contract, teachers have been wearing
lime green buttons that say “Working Without
a Contract.”
They also hold occasional informational
pickets before school board meetings and at
some school district events, such as the recent
grand opening ceremony for Southfield
High School’s new addition to the school
building. On the picket line, employees tote
signs that read “Settle Our Contract” and
“Let’s Bargain.”

4
The Southfield Jay / December 2006

Q Q & & A
A
with with Southf Southfield
Southf ield
High’s High’s ‘Gr ‘Grandma’
‘Gr andma’
By Personna Hover
Staff Writer
“Grandma” is the school’s
popular lunch monitor who
oversees the cafeteria and gives
hugs to all who greet her. Few
know her real name even though
she hugs them daily. Here’s what
Grandma has to say.
Q: Why do you like everyone
to call you Grandma?
A: I like being called Grandma
because my oldest grandson is
20 years old. I feel like a
grandma more when the kids
call me Grandma.
Q: How old are you and what
is your real name?
A: My real name is Margo Virginia
Anderson, but I still prefer
being called Grandma. I am
63 years old.
Q: Why do you yodel during
lunch?
A: Why? Do the kids want me
to stop? You know I’ve always
been a loud child. It’s just something
in me that I must let out. I
guess you can say I’m’ relieving
stress when I scream.
Q: Do you have any grandchildren
of your own?
A: Yes I have plenty of grandchildren.
I have two kids of my
own. My oldest child, Pamela
Suttles, is 45, and my son’s name
is Keith Anderson, and he’s 44.
Altogether I have six grandchildren
and one great grandson.
Q: What is your job exactly?
A: My job is simple, to watch
over my babies. I make sure they
don’t fight, and I clean the tables
after they leave during lunch.
Q: Where did you work before
you came to Southfield High?
A: I worked at the Royal Oak
Post Office for 31 years. My job
there was to handle packages
and unload the mail off the dock.
Q: What do you want for
Christmas?
A: I want a jumbo Sudoku book
with tons of math puzzles to
keep me busy when I’m not
watching my kids.
Featur eatur eatures eatur es The Southfield Jay / December 2006 5
Studying tudying f ffor
f or tw two tw
Junior balances motherhood and math
By Mia Fleming
Staff Writer
Usually, role models are seen in
class valedictorians and presidents
of organizations throughout school.
They’re known as the crème de la
crème, and are the students who are
expected to become leaders of not
only the school, but the world.
However some
have been able
to find a role
model in 17year-oldBrittany
Latimer, a
pregnant senior
at Southfield
High School.
Pregnancy
was the
unlikley catalyst
that
sparked
Latimer to get her act together in
school and at home. Now that she’s
studying for two, she says that she’s
become more focused on school,
and it shows through her improved
grades. She says that she is also
closer now to her mother,
Stephanie, who has agreed to help
her raise the child.
Her expected due date is Friday
February 23, and says she plans to
return to school as soon as possible
after giving birth.
Doctors say a baby boy will
soon be born to junior Brittany
Latimer and senior Donnell Thomas,
a former Southfield High student
who now attends Consortium
College Prepatory High School in
Detroit.
“I was scared at first,” said Thomas,
about learning that he would
be a father. He said he worries
about how he’ll care for his child
financially but is also “excited”
about his future son.
Mom-to-be says, “My pregnancy
helped me focus on my
grades, which are improving, and
I’m trying to become an example
for others” in her situation.
After buckling down and making
school her top priority, everything
changed—for the better.,
“She managed to turn
what most people would
consider a negative
situation around, her
attitude completely
changing for the better, and
stay positive.”
~ Brenda Perryman
Latimer says. “It got me focused,”
said Latimer. She says she realized
that her actions now will affect not
only her, but her child, as well.
Even though her family started
off upset with the situation, they
support her now, Latimer says. Her
friends have remained true to her
and their relationships. “I make sure
to tell my friends ‘Don’t make the
same mis-
takes I did!’ ”
She says
she does not
in any way
recommend
getting pregnant
during
high school,
but now that
she is expecting
a child,
she says she
has to do her
best in school, for both her sake and
her child’s. She says her baby boy
ended up being her silver lining, her
reason to turn her life around at
home, at school, and within herself.
Not everyone agrees with her
decision to keep her baby and attend
school during her pregnancy,
Latimer says. But Latimer continues
to go to class: “People are going
to stare, regardless of whether
you’re pregnant or not.” So she
says that she takes the sneering and
stares in stride, confident that she
made the best decision for herself,
by herself.
One decision she had help on,
however, was her upcoming baby
shower on Jan. 28, in Sutton Place
apartments, that friends and family
helped plan. “I just want to thank
my family and my friends for supporting
and believing in me.”
Her next goal is to take care of
her child and keep it together at
school. Her earlier ambition was to
be a fashion model, but now her focus
is getting a solid job to support
her child, perhaps as a nurse.
Drama teacher Brenda
Perryman says she has watched
Latimer change from a girl to a
young woman. “She managed to
turn what most people would con-
Photo by Mia Fleming
Baby and me: Junior Brittany Latimer says her pregnancy
encouraged her to work harder in school.
sider a negative situation around,
her attitude completely changing
for the better, and stay positive.”
Latimer’s god sister, junior
Marchelle Miles, says she supports
Latimer’s decision to keep her baby
and ignore caustic comments about
pregnant teens. “I would make the
same decision if I was in that position.
I admire that she’s not afraid
to tell people she’s pregnant and
that she’s keeping it.”

Cr Crazy Cr azy for for critter critters critter
Fun un f ffacts
f acts
about about pe pets pe ts
• More than 40
percent of pet
owners say they talk
to their pets over the
phone or answering
machine.
• 25 percent of pet
owners say that they
blow-dry their pet’s
fur after a bath.
• 40 percent of pet
owners carry a
picture of their pet in
their wallet.
• 79 percent of
owners buy presents
for their pets on
holidays or birthdays.
• 21 percent of pet
owners says they
dress up their pets
on occasion.
• 58 percent of pet
owners include pets
in family portraits
• 70 percent of
owners sign their
pet’s name on
greeting cards.
• 70 percent of
American homes
have either a cat or
a dog
Source: Best Friends Pet
Care, with 44 grooming
facilities in 19 states
Pet t owner owners owner s sa say sa y money
money
really really can can buy buy y yyou
y ou lo love lo ve -
-
especially especially at at the the holida holidays holida
By Erika Pritchett, Tania Keys, Shar’nika Little and D’Chell Price
Science teacher Craig
Bonnington runs his own
little zoo out of his science
classroom.
He has 21 pets that he cares for.
These animals include 16 goldfish,
an iguana named Shrek, an aquatic
albino frog named Claude, and a
guinea pig named Rosey.
Waiting at home, Bonnigton also
has a 7-year-old beagle named
Missy and a 14- week-old chocolate
lab named Grace.
It’s no secret how he feels about
having a menagerie of pets around
him. Bonnigton says the pets are
not just for him: “I think it’s important
to have live animals in class
for students studying science.”
Bonnington is one of the many
teachers and students around
Southfield High School who consider
their pets to be among their
best friends.
He and other pet owners at
Southfield High says animals are
reliable companions that can be
costly to own, but they provide unconditional
friendship and love to
people of all ages.
Pets ts as as holida holiday holida y gif gifts gif ts
Because pets are so special, they
are often given as gifts to others
during the holidays.
“We have a lot of parents coming
in to buy puppies and kittens
right now for their children as
Christmas presents,” says Linda
Cook, manager of the Family of
Pets store at the Livonia Mall.
“They make wonderful gifts,” she
says.
The store’s Shih Tzu puppies
start at $1,000, she says, which includes
veterinary visits, a 30-day
medical warranty, a microchip implant
to help identify the pet, and
some pet supplies to care for the
dog.
Not everyone agrees that pets
are a great holiday gift, however.
Michigan Humane Society Spokesperson
Stephanie Baron says it’s
better to go pet shopping as a family
to select a pet “because it’s a lifetime
commitment to raising a pet.”
Reptile eptile lo love lo ve
But Bonnington didn’t pay a
penny for his prized iguana. He inherited
the lime green reptile from
former science teacher Jim Bugg,
who retired two years ago. It lives
in the greenhouse behind
Bonnington’s classroom, where it
can watch the school buses come
and go each day.
Bonnington is not the only
iguana owner at Southfield High.
Freshman Amber Moore-Smith
owns a three-month old iguana
named Marco. She purchased her
reptilian pal for $23 and now
spends approximately $15 a month
to care for him. He eats leafy
greens, fruit and fresh vegetables
that are grated and chopped.
Sophomore Jazmin Jackson
knows all too well that pets can be
extremely expensive. She owns a
dog that is a cross between a Shih
Tzu and Maltese, so it’s a pint-sized
mop of a dog, requiring lots of
grooming. Though she received the
dog as a gift, she says she still has
to pays $100 a month to care for
him properly. But it’s money well
spent, she says: “My dog Jay Jay
is like a brother to me.”
Cats Cats rule
rule
Cats are the most popular pet
choices in America, where 51 percent
of households have a feline,
according to Internet statistics
posted by Best Friends Pet Care,
which operates 44 pet grooming,
training and boarding facilities in
19 states. Dogs are the number two
choice, according to Pet Care, finding
their way into 39 percent of
American households.
Lauren Lockhart, a junior, is
among the dog lovers. She happens
to own an uncommon breed
of dog called a dachshund, know
as a “weenie dog” or “ hot dog.”
She says it wasn’t exactly love at
first sight, though. “I did not like
my pet at first, but because Jewels
was so adorable, I began to like
her.”
A pet can grow on you. Just as
junior Christopher Van Nest, who
has a snake named Eric that he’s
had for 13 years. His ball python is
about five feet long and is brown
with black and white spots. “I like
having a snake as a pet because you
don’t have to do much to take care
of him. Van Nest feeds his snake
live mice from the pet store every
two weeks.
For For the the bir birds bir ds
Junior Paris Cowser owns a
grand total of six pet parakeets. She
has five green parakeets and one
yellow one. She tells the animals
apart by their actions. She has three
cages for the animals and places
two in each cage. She says, “I really
care about my pets. I’ve had
Arby, the oldest one, for about nine
years, and he was the first one I received.
They’re wonderful. I just
love them.”
Kennon Strong is a junior who
has a couple of furless pets that he
has raised for eight years. He has a
red-eared slider turtle named Tiara
and a spotted turtle named Rocko,
both of which he has taken care of
since he was 8 years old. He professes
a deep love for the quiet critters
that share his home.
According to Strong, “One of
them was about the size of a half
dollar when we first got him, and
we didn’t expect him to grow, but
now he’s about the size of a football.”
His eight-year love affair with
his turtles has indeed outlasted
many marriages.
Pet t pee peeve pee ve
Although pets are very popular
among Southfield High School’s
staff and students, not everyone has
one. Sophomore Raushan Patterson
does not have nor particularly want
a pet. “They stink, you have to clean
up after them, (and) I got too much
stuff to do. I don’t have time to
clean up after them.”
By contrast, freshman Kiara
Boyce says, “I don’t have a pet, but
I want one. I used to have a dog,
and I miss having one. Hopefully,
I’ll get another one for Christmas.”

Photo by Rae Larkins
Snake eyes: Junior Christopher Van Nest has a ball python
snake, which is indigenous to Central and Western Africa.
Photo by Josh Polito
Turtle time: Junior Kennon Strong says his pet turtles require
large tanks, special lighting and lots of cleaning.
Photo by Jensen Allen
Feathered friends: Junior Paris Cowser holds her parakeet Arby.
Photo by Josh Polito
Best friends: Junior Lauren Lockhart says that her best friend is
her dachshund, Jewels.
Presidents
Presidents
lo love lo ve their
their
pe pets, pe ts, t ttoo
t oo
By Jensen Allen
Editor-in-Chief
America’s 43 presidents have
housed a variety of pets. Though
dogs have been the most popular
pets in the White House over the
years, a number of presidents have
also enjoyed the company of other
animals, as well. Here’s a sampling
of which presidents had
which pets.
George Washington - parrot
Thomas Jefferson - bear cubs,
mockingbird
John Quincy Adams - alligator
Martin Van Buren - tiger cubs
William Henry Harrison - goat
James Buchanan - eagle,
elephant
Abraham Lincoln - turkey, pigs
Andrew Johnson - white mice
Ulysses S. Grant - ponies,
roosters
Rutherford B. Hayes - Siamese
cat
James Garfield - fish
Grover Cleveland - canaries
Benjamin Harrison - dog
William McKinley - Angora cat
Theodore Roosevelt - badger,
piebald rat, gartner snake,
guinea pigs, kangaroo rats, owl,
flying squirrel, raccoon, coyote,
lion, hyena, zebra
William Taft - cow
Dwight D. Eisenhower -
Weimaraner dog
Woodrow Wilson - ram, sheep,
chickens
Calvin Coolidge - bobcat,
donkey, antelope, wallaby,
pygmy hippo, goose
Herbert Hoover - opossum
John F. Kennedy - cat, horses,
hamsters
Lyndon B. Johnson - lovebirds
Bill Clinton - cat, dog
George W. Bush - dogs
Photo by Josh Polito
Do not touch: Shrek, the pet
iguana of science teacher
Craig Bonnington, (left)
doesn’t like to be held.

8
The Southfield Jay / December 2006
And And that’s that’s wh why wh
they they pla play pla y the the game
game
By Emanuel Johnson
Sports Editor
Any conventional wisdom would have
told you that the UCLA Bruins football team
could not defeat their powerhouse rivals, the
number two ranked USC Trojans.
For the entire week after USC defeated
Notre Dame to better their chances at a trip
to Glendale, Ariz., to compete for the BCS
Championship, people around the country
assumed that they would get that opportunity.
No one expected anything less than a
blowout as the 10-1 USC Trojans prepared
to engage the unranked 6-5 UCLA Bruins.
On Dec. 2, conventional wisdom wasn’t
wise at all.
The Bruins defeated their in-state rivals
13-9 in one of the greatest and most shocking
upsets in college football history. It was
their first victory over USC since 1998.
“I was shocked,” said senior Michael
“Mudd” Harris, who constantly keeps up
with college football happenings. “USC practiced
for Ohio State instead of UCLA, but
UCLA got the upset. That’s what happens
when you overlook your opponent. They get
the better of you. They end up winning.”
And that’s just what it was, a UCLA win,
rather than a USC defeat.
The Bruins did it with passionate play and
a passionate coach in Karl Dorrell, who,
rather than hold his team back, jumped right
in the middle of the crowd during the taunting
that took place in the third quarter of the
game.
Which brings us to the moral of our little
story: the power of the heart.
The nation prematurely chalked the game
up as just another win for USC because they
were looking at it from an angle of rational
reasoning without introducing the human element
into the process.
That is, they counted out the heart and
passion of the players of UCLA.
In any sport when a team or individual
plays to win and refuses to accept anything
less, rational reasoning and conventional
wisdom mean nothing. The only thing that
matters is the person’s will to succeed.
Spor Sports Spor ts
Spor Sports Spor ts t tteams
t eams cut cut due
due
to o lac lack lac k of of par participation
par ticipation
Photos of wall plaques by Emanuel Johnson
Game over: Hockey and soccer peaked in 1984 at Southfield High when the
above-pictured athletes - Ken Chaput (left) and Erik Enyedy (right) - made the All-
State roster in their respective sports. These sports were eventually cut due to lack
of participation. Swimming is still offered but also lacks participants.
By Emanuel Johnson
Sports Editor
Every year Southfield High students push
three major sports into the limelight: football,
basketball and track. The attention attracted
by these powerhouse sports takes
away valuable appeal to many of the smaller
athletic programs in the school.
In the past few decades, several sports
have been cut from the school’s athletic program
due to lack of participation or interest.
Some major cuts include hockey and soccer.
Swimming is likely the next sport to go because
few participate.
Southfield High hosted a hockey team up
until 1991, when it was cut. The program was
restored under joint participation with
Southfield-Lathrup in 1992 before being cut
again in 2001. The team never enjoyed much
success, often going entire seasons without
a single victory.
“The city of Southfield doesn’t really push
hockey like it does football and basketball,”
said former Southfield High hockey coach
Robert Smith. “There weren’t many kids that
came out…I’d be lucky to get 13, and most
of them didn’t even know how to skate. It
makes it hard. We would lose games by 25
points when 4 is considered a blowout.”
The school’s boys’ soccer program was
also run under a joint participation with
Southfield-Lathrup. It was cut in 2002.
Southfield-Lathrup cut its own individual
program this year.
The soccer team had more success than
the hockey team, but it still wasn’t strong
enough to remain a part of the school.
“We were an OK team,” said Social Studies
teacher Jamie Glinz, who played for the
soccer team until 2000. “We usually ended
up with a losing record, but we tried to be
competitive in every game.”
The girls’ soccer team lasted until last year
when its final season featured a team comprised
purely of Southfield-Lathrup students;
not one Southfield High student participated.
The program was dropped due to a
Michigan athletic rule forbidding two
schools with a combined total of 3,500 or
more students from combining teams.
Southfield High is home to 1,422 students
without Southfield-Lathrup and Southfield
Regional Academic Campus (S-RAC).
The boys’ and girls’ swimming teams also
felt the effect of this new rule this year when
both teams were unable to combine with
Southfield-Lathrup, rendering each program
unable to compete this season because it did
not have enough team members.
According to Athletic Director Tom
Eschmann, Southfield High also hosted a
gymnastics team (cut in 1981) and a ski team
(cut in 1980).
“Lack of participation was not the only
issue,” said Eschmann. “It seems like it also
had a lot to do with the administration of the
time. If they didn’t like the program, it usually
got cut.”
Sports that the school has never offered
include lacrosse, figure skating, boxing and
bowling. Bowling is gaining popularity as a
varsity sport at other schools, however.
“I’d definitely join if we had a bowling
team,” said senior Shawn Daniel, who bowls
a 207 average. “I know plenty of people who
would be right there with me, too.”
“There are plenty of opportunities,” said
Eschmann. “The problem is that I can’t find
enough interested students to run them… If
enough students showed interest, then maybe
I can do something to help them.”
Sports Briefs
V-Ball -Ball of off of f t tto
t o r rrough
r ough s sstar
s ar art ar
The girls’ volleyball team started the season
with two consecutive shutout losses to
Pontiac Northern and Hazel Park. Despite
the defeats,
the team
maintains a
positive outlook
on the
rest of the season.
“We decided
as a
team that Hazel
Park
would be our
last home de-
Ashley Jackson
Young oung wres wrestler wres tler tlers tler s place
place
Two sophomores placed in Ferndale Invitational
wrestling tournament on Dec. 2.
Sophomore Marvin Jenkins took fourth place
in the 152- pound weight class and Robert
Drayton-
Wiley took
fourth place in
the 171pound
weight
class. “We
have a lot of
newcomers,”
said sophomore
wrestler
M i k e
Chappell.
The team has
Mike Chappell
feat,” said senior
Ashley
Jackson. The
team’s next home game will be Jan. 4, against
Southfield-Lathrup.
-Emanuel Johnson
30 members,
but they lost
the leadership of former wrestlers junior
Aaron Whaley and senior Bernard Banks.
Despite these setbacks the team is still optimistic
about the future.
-Sahsha Daniel
Swim Swim t tteam
t eam needs needs bodies
bodies
The Varsity Boys’ Swim team kicked off the
2006 season without their Southfield-Lathrup
partners swimming by their side. The team
fell victim to the new high school rule banning
schools with 3,500 or more total students
from combining teams. As a result,
Southfield High has too few participants to
swim in competitive meets. A team needs at
least eight swimmers to compete, but this
year’s team only has four.
-Tomeka Kolleh

Triple riple Threat Threat: Threat
Photo By Emanuel Johnson
Return to sender: Senior Nicole Moore prepares to return the
ball during a volleyball game.
11/28, 11/29, 11/30 6-8 pm
12/27, 12/28, 12/29 5-7 pm
Call for additional dates
Location & Times:
17029 W. 13 Mile Rd.
Southfield (248) 358-3155
___ 12/4-12/19 6-8 pm
___ 12/18-1/4 7-9 pm
___ 1/8-1/25 6-8 pm
Call for details or for additional dates
Spor Sports Spor ts
Senior excels in
athletic endeavors
By Sahsha Daniel
Staff Writer
There’s no such thing as
an off-season for
senior athlete Nicole
Green. The three-sport
athlete is always in
training, whether it’s for varsity
basketball, track or volleyball.
Green was exposed to the world
of sports at an early age. “With me
being raised by my father and living
with my brother, I knew nothing
else,” said Green. “I have
always been
around sports.
Being really
girly was unacceptable
in my
house.”
Green eventually
fell in love
with track. She
started running
at 7 years old in
the Crim Race in
Flint, Mich. The
Crim is a 10mile
race along
the streets of the city for the purpose
of raising money for the mentally
disabled.
Shortly after Green moved to
Southfield in 2000, her father
passed away. While on vacation in
the Bahamas, he went out for a
swim and ended up at the bottom
of the Atlantic Ocean.
This tragic loss led Green to
submerse herself into her athletic
aspirations.
“My dad died, so I needed something
that I could release my anger
into,” said Green.
She began learning the fundamentals
by practicing every day until
the street lights went out. She
would take on anybody who dared
challenge her.
“Nicole is very competitive,”
said long time friend senior Tiffany
Johnson. “She doesn’t like to lose,
and the few times that she does lose
force her to work harder to win the
next time.”
Green, standing 5’4’’ and weighing
130 pounds of pure, solid
muscle, began her high school ath-
“My dad died, so I
needed something
that I could release
my anger into.”
~ Nicole Green
The Southfield Jay / December 2006 9
letic career with basketball and
track. It wasn’t until her varsity
basketball coach Ernie Taber saw
her potential that she ventured into
her third varsity sport, volleyball,
in her junior year.
“Coach Taber said I had potential
because I’m left-handed and
athletic. He said that I would be a
huge asset because I brought speed
and a new attacking position,” said
Green.
Green finished this year’s girls’
basketball season as the only All-
League athlete on the team. She
also won honors
from her
team as the
Most Valuable
Offensive
Player with 210
total points in
the season.
Green shyly received
these
awards at the
team’s banquet
at Hoop City
Grill earlier
this month.
Though her father could not be
present to see his daughter receive
the awards, her teammates and
family members applauded her accomplishments.
With the basketball season now
over, Green has focused her attention
on becoming a leader on the
girls’ varsity volleyball team, where
most of the younger girls look up
to her spirit, drive and remarkable
skill.
Sophomore Melissa Smith is
one of the younger players who
looks up to her. “She is very athletic
and very aggressive,” said
Smith. “I wish I could be half as
aggressive and confident as she is
on the court.”
Green says that she hopes to attend
Howard University on a basketball
scholarship, but currently
there are no offers on the table.
“She is really good,” said junior
Roshaunda Buchanan, one of
Green’s volleyball teammates.
“You can tell that she really loves
what she does. I really think that
she is going to go all the way.”
Coach’s Corner
An An inside inside c cchat
c hat
with with Gar Gary Gar y T TTeasle
T easle easley easle
By Tomeka Kolleh
Staff Writer
Gary Teasley coaches the Boys’
Varsity Basketball team. Last
season the team finished with an
overall record of 11-9. Here’s
what Teasley had to say about
the team:
Q: What are you doing to put
the team over the edge?
A: My goal is to not to lose one
player. Our boys are exposed to a
variety of things in life - some
good, some bad - which can affect
their actions on and off the
court. When I say losing a player,
I mean losing them to death, drugs,
teen pregnancy and ineligibity. I
want to keep everybody on my
team from start to end. On the
court we are extremely focused on
being committed to the game. We
practice two hours for six days a
week. We attempt to be 100 percent
mental and physical when
we’re on the court. If we are focused
at practice, then we will be
completely focused at game time.
Q: Who do you look to for senior
leadership?
A: Dominique Barnes is one of the
most mentally tough student athletes
in Oakland County. He’s human,
just like the rest of us, but he
is focused on the court. I believe
that he would agree that athletics
has had a major impact in his life.
Not only is he starting guard, he
is also the quarterback for the football
team, and that shows that he
can be dominant in not one, but
two sports. I believe we would
both agree that he has learned
from the challenges presented in
his life and is committed to finishing
strong, not only on the
court, but in the classroom as well.
Q: Do you think this team has
more talent than last year?
A: I believe that this team has
more potential then last year. ..this
year’s team is more familiar with
the teachings and philosophy of
my coaching. I believe that a team
has to sacrifice individual needs
to reap the benefit of being one
on the court. I believe that this
year’s team will excite the parents
and students of our school in ways
never done before.

10
The Southfield Jay / December 2006
Photo by Josh Polito
Play time: Junior Malcolm Higgins flaunts his Playstation 3,
which he bought for himself after saving for a year. The $600
game system was an early Christmas present that he gave to
himself. Fellow junior Jenay Jackson (far right) received her
Playstation 3 as a gift from her mother, who stood in line for two
and a half hours to purchase it.
Ent Enter Ent er ertainment
er ainment
Juniors snag elusive PS3
By Makia Brooks
Entertainment Editor
The sun rose early on Friday,
Nov. 17, for the thousands of video
game fanatics who waited eagerly
to get ahold of the PlayStation 3.
Committed parents bombarded
store lines, determined to fulfill
their child’s holiday wish list. Video
game junkies pitched tents outside
of stores, counting down the minutes
till opening day.
Junior Malcolm Higgins, however,
slept soundly, knowing his
copy was on its way. “I didn’t have
to stand in line, thankfully, I got
mine reserved.” Malcolm, who had
been saving up for a year to buy
the PS3, was on the wait list at the
Target in Southfield. The
Playstation 3 was his early Christmas
gift, from himself.
However, junior Jenay Jackson
had a more difficult time. “My mom
had to stand in line for two and a
half hours at Best Buy,” she said. A
hint of disappointment appears in
her voice as she adds that she has
to share with her brother.
Others, like 26-year-old Chris
Morraye, a nurse at Sinai Grace
Hospital, arrived three days in advance
to purchase the popular gaming
system for profit. “My
girlfriend and I bought a couple of
PlayStations and decided to make
a profit so we sold them on Ebay,”
PlayStation 3 seems to be the
hottest product on the market for
the holiday gift-giving season. So,
what is so great about this new
game system?
Created by Sony, this $600
must-have is more of a home entertainment
system. It comes complete
with an upgradeable hard
drive, blu-ray drive, HDMI port,
blue tooth controller, built in
Wi-Fi and flash card readers.
Two versions of the
PlayStation are available, the
$500 dollar 20 giga-byte
system, and the $600, 60
giga-byte system, which is
more popular because of
the larger hard drive and
additional capabilities.
A hidden smile appears
on Higgins’ face as he
brags about one of the
popular new features of the
PS3: “It has the six-axis controller
that has motion sensor
capabilities, which is the bluray
disc player.”
Higgins says his favorite
new feature on the PS3 is the
system’s ability to download extra
content. “It makes games never get
old.”
The PlayStation 3 has a variety
Sound off: What’s your favorite holiday movie?
Robin Collins, junior:
Charlie Brown Christmas
“My family sits around and
watches it every Christmas.”
Desmeona Phillips,
sophomore:
Home Alone 2
“It was funny. It’s one of my
favorite movies as a child.”
Capri Ramsey, sophomore:
Elf
“I liked the father-son
relationship. The funniest part
was when he fell off the roof.”
Diamond Woods, freshman:
How The Grinch Stole
Christmas (Jim Carrey version)
“It wasn’t animated and put a
new spin on a classic.”
of new games although it is compatible
with older PlayStation and
PlayStation 2 games also.
Some of the newer or upgraded
games for PS3 are; ‘Call of Duty
2’, ‘EA Sports Fight Night’, ‘Madden
NFL 07’, and ‘Sonic the Hedge
Hog’ just to name a few, each selling
for $60.
For those who were unable to
find a store with PlayStation 3 in
stock, didn’t want to
Got game:
Junior
Jenay
Jackson
wait in a mile long line to buy one,
or didn’t have the money to buy
one, ask Higgins or Jackson;
maybe they’ll share.
Jason Topp, radio adviser:
Bad Santa
“The funniest movie ever. I like
how Billy Bob Thornton’s
character showed compassion.”

What’s What’s hot hot and and what’s what’s not
not
in in in in in gif gif gift gif gift
t t t ideas ideas ideas ideas ideas ff
for ff
or or or or tt
teens tt
eens eens eens eens
Besides the PlayStation 3, here’s what else teens are wishing for this
holiday season:
Hot
Not
Money
It’s always the right size,
nobody ever has enough of it, it
never needs returning and you
don’t have to wrap it up.
Gift card
It’s almost as good as giving
money. You choose the place
where the recipient can pick
out their own gift. They are
guaranteed to get what they
want
DVD’s
Everyone loves a good movie.
You can’t go wrong with this
gift.
iPod
Whether it’s the iPod Shuffle or
the iPod Mini, the person who
receives the gift will be
satisfied. Just be prepared to
spend a pretty penny.
A Christmas
to remember
By Kayla Hurst
Fun Page Editor
“Everyone was screaming and
running around,” recalls junior
Nicole Moore about her favorite
holiday memory.
It was Christmas Eve 2005 at
her cousin Mark Smith’s home. The
Moore
family
was gatheredtogether
to
enjoy
Christmas
dinner.
Decorations
were displayed
around the
Nicole Moore
house, including
in
the up-
stairs rooms of the two-story Detroit
condominium.
Winter clothing
Teens don’t really wear winter
clothing like scarves and
gloves. If they do, they’d
probably rather pick it out. So
it’s best to stay away from it.
Lotions / shampoos
It seems like a good idea when
you’re buying it, but most
people are sick of getting the
same type of gift for every
occasion.
School supplies
Better to give a gift the
teenager wants, not something
the teenager needs. This gift is
a big “no no.”
Underclothes
Parents, please don’t buy your
children underpants for the
holidays. Wait until after the
holidays to get that.
While everyone was enjoying
each other’s company, the smoke
alarm suddenly went off. Everyone
began to panic, not knowing where
the fire was or what caused it,
Moore said.
Then, Nicole Moore’s quickthinking
cousin Carol dashed upstairs
and spotted the source of the
fire. On the second floor in the living
room were some holiday flowers
that surrounded candles. Some
of the flowers were too close to the
flame and caught fire. “Nobody
even noticed that the upstairs was
on fire until the smoke alarm went
off,” Moore said.
The Moore family quickly extinguished
the fire before any damage
was done to the home.
Even though the fire could have
been a serious matter, the Moore
family found humor in the situation
and didn’t let it ruin their holiday.
They are now much more careful
with candles after that event, Moore
said.
The The F FFun
F un P PPag
P ag age ag
I have the
present you
wanted!
Really?
Style Style profile
profile
By Rae Larkins
Features Editor
Senior Brianna Garrett, with a
petite figure and 115 pounds,
comes to school dressed like a fashion
model.
According to Garrett, her personal
style is a hodgepodge of
trends and classics, but customarily
“prissy and sophisticated.” Garret
would rather wear a cute shirt
with slacks and heels or boots, but
never gym shoes. “The last time I
wore some gym shoes was in the
tenth grade when my boyfriend
bought me some Jordans,” said
Garrett.
To her wardrobe she appends
men’s neckties and tights, along
with her collection of Hello Kitty
jewelry that includes necklaces,
bracelets, rings and earrings. She
also applies black nail polish at
times. “I don’t wear black nails every
day; I’m not a Goth,” she says.
“I just started wearing black nail
polish because I saw it on someone
else, and it looked nice.”
Garrett says whenever she has
money, which she usually gets from
her father, she goes shopping at
Fairlane Mall, in Dearborn, because
it’s closer to her home. But
she prefers to shop at either Oakland
Mall in Troy or Twelve Oaks
Shopping Center in Novi.
Garrett says that her older
friend, Sharea Foster, has a key role
in executing Garrett’s fashion.
Though they aren’t sisters, Garrett
says she is often told that they resemble
one another.
Garrett looks up to Foster’s sophisticated
style of dress. “Coordination
is very important to me,
there are certain things that should
fit together; it looks neater.” In contrast,
Garrett says she influences her
mother’s style of dress and that her
mother sometimes dresses like her.
Here it is.
Your new
Playstation!
The Southfield Jay / December 200611
Playstation
3?
Hey, it’s
Playstion 1, not 3.
So I’m off
by two
numbers.
What’s the
big deal?
with Brianna Garrett
Photo by Josh Polito
Standing tall: Senior Brianna Garrett says you’ll never catch her
in gym shoes at school. It’s just not her style.

12 The Southfield Jay / December 2006
The The Bac Back Bac k P PPag
P ag age ag
Farewell to 2006
New school principal Michael Horn The late Phillip Vails (left) Retired teacher Greg McDowell Spirit of Detroit in Tiger wear
A look at the year in review
Looking back on 2006, it was a year of tremendous change at Southfield High.
But little changed on the state level or the national level. The school changed
leaders, but Jennifer Granholm is still the governor of Michigan, and George W.
Bush is still the president of the United States. On a worldwide scale, the war in the
Mideast raged throughout the year, and will likely do so in 2007. Here’s The
Southfield Jay’s wrap up of what happened in 2006:
At t Southf Southfield Southf ield High
High
• Michael Horn becomes principal
• Marty Bulger is named as Assistant
Principal
• New school wings open
• Assistant Principal Kellie
Cunningham moves to Southfield-
Lathrup High School
• Math teacher Greg McDowell retires
• Deidre Cary takes job as counselor at
Brace-Lederle
• Band wins two grand championships
• School store closes
• 2005 graduate Phillip Vails dies
• Southfield High beats Southfield-
Lathrup in football
• New dress code rule says boys must
tuck in shirts
• Wanda Cook-Robinson is named
superintendent
• Detention moves to Tuesdays and
Wednesdays
• O-House cafeteria is demolished
• School menu dumps French Fries
In In Mic Michigan Mic higan
• Tigers make it to World Series
• Gov. Jennifer Granholm is re-elected
• Proposal 2 passes, banning
Affirmative Action
• Democrats gain control of state
• Pistons lose in Eastern Conference
• Ben Wallace leaves the Pistons
• University of Michigan nods to Ohio
State University in football
• Lions continue to lose
• Football Coach Bo Schembechler dies
• Detroit hosts the Super Bowl
• Scream V Tour passes through town
• Dirty South Invasion Tour stops by
• Detroit hostsWrestlemania
• Google opens offices in Ann Arbor
• Feds dig for Jimmy Hoffa in Milford
• Rapper Proof dies in a Detroit
nightclub
• John L. Smith gets canned by
Michigan State as football coach
• University of Michigan beats Notre
Dame but loses in the Rose Bowl
Acr Across Acr oss the the nation
nation
• War in Iraq continues
• Democrats gain control of House and
Senate
• Former President Gerald Ford dies
•Donald Rumsfeld resigns as Secretary
of Defense
• Gas prices remain high
• Kid Rock and Pamela Andersen tie
and untie the knot
• Anna Nicole loses a son
• Rapper Snoop Dogg is arrested in the
United Kingdom
• Rappers Lil’ Wayne and Baby kiss
• Singer R. Kelly remains on trial
• O.J. Simpson writes an if-I-did-it
book
• Stanley “Tookie” Williams is
executed
• Cardinals win the World Series
• Ford Motor Co. mortgages all assets
• Ford offers buyouts
• Small cars gain popularity
• Marshall Fields becomes Macy’s
Photos from Southfield Jay files
• Nicole Richie shrinks to 85 pounds
from 100 pounds
• Rapper Bow Wow and singer Ciara
break up
• Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee
split
• Rapper LL Cool J signs with G-Unit
• Vans become hottest shoes
• Leggings become popular in fashion
• Diddy expects twins with Kim Porter
• Comedian Kat Williams gets caught
with four guns at an airport
• Deal or No Deal dominates TV
• Emmitt Smith wins Dancing with the
Stars
• Deelishis wins Flavor of Love
Ar Around Ar ound the the world
world
• Saddam Hussein is sentenced to
death and executed
• Pluto is no longer a planet
• Vaccine developed for cervical
cancer
• Augusto Pinochet of Chile dies
• Global warming continues
• China has fastest growing economy
• North Korea tests nuclear bomb
• Iran expands its nuclear program
• Bird flu hits in Asia
• Paul McCartney splits with Heather
Mills
• Michael Jackson lays low
• Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa are still
missing